Bucket support for attachment to stepladders



R. M. BQOTH Jan. 27, 1959 BUCKET SUPPORT FOR ATTACHMENT TO STEPLADDERS Filed Jan. 11, 1954 INVENTOR. PALPH M BOOTH United States Pa C B U CKET SUPPORT FOR ATTACHMENT TO STEPLADDERS The present invention relates to a bucket holder, and pertains more particularly to an attachment for step ladders which will provide a stable and convenient support for a bucket of a more or less standard size of the type commonly used by professional painters, and which bucket holder will not interfere with the stacking of several ladders provided therewith in horizontal, superposed relation, ina manner customary with painting contractors when transporting ladders from one job to another.

. In the past, many devices have been devised to support a paint bucket on a ladder. Some of these devices have been unstable, so as to increase the likelihood of spilling the contents of a bucket mounted thereon; while others have been incapable of mounting on the ladder without projecting therefrom and thus interfering with the stacking of ladders in horizontal superposed relation when required.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved bucket holder for step ladders. The invention also provides a simple, inexpensive bucket support for permanently mounting on a step ladder. A further object of the invention is to provide a bucket holder which is mounted on the inner side of the hingedly mounted support legs of a step ladder, and which will be disposed entirelywithin the exterior confines of the ladder.

1 These and other objects and advantages of theinvention will be brought out in the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a step ladder with a bucket holder embodying, the present invention mounted thereon, the position of a paint bucket supported in the bucket holder being indicated in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the bucket holder shown in Fig. 1, as it would appear when removed from the ladder.

Fig. 3 is a modified form of bucket holder embodying the invention. \1

Referring to the drawings in detail, a conventional step ladder A comprises a step portion 10 having two side stringers 11, 11 and a plurality of transversely extending steps 12 mounted to extend therebetween. The top plate 13 of the step ladder is secured to the side stringers 11, 11 by usual angle brackets 14, 14 riveted at 15 to the top plate 13 and bolted at 17 to the stringers. The rear support legs 18, 18 are pivotally mounted on the angle brackets 14, 14 by pivot bolts 19, 19.

The bucket holder B embodying the present invention consists, in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of a pair of transversely extending strap members 20 and 21 which may be of band metal. The central portions of these transverse strap members 20 and 21 are curved concavely at 23 and 24 respectively from the side which will be exposed rearwardly of the ladder when mounted thereon as shown in Fig. 1. Their curvature preferably is of a radius which will receive a bucket C (broken lines, Fig. 1) of a desired size to be accommodated therein.

Since the bucket holder of the present invention is in- 1 2 tended for professional use, it is not desired that it accommodate other than a standard size bucket C which is I commonly used for holding paint by professional painters.

Therefore,the curvature of these central portions of the strap members 20 and 21 are intended to fit the lateral peripheral curvature of the standard size buckets which are to be supported therein.

A segmental plate 25, having a curvature on one side 26 thereof to fit withinthe curved portion of the lower band member 20, is welded into said curved portion. The plate 25 is of a size so that its chordal side 27 will be substantially coextensive with the laterally extending side portions 28, 28 of the lower strap member 20.

A vertical strip 30, which may be of band metal, is welded centrally of the curved portions 23 and 24 of the strap members 20'and 21, respectively, to extendperpendicularly above the upper strap member 21. The upper end portion 31 of the vertical strip 30 is bent rearwardly'at a height from the plate 25 to receive the upper rim 3201f the bucket C therebeneath to hold a bucket securely in the bucket holder A.

The ends of the transversely extending strap members 20 and 21 are secured by rivets 33, 33 (Fig. l) to the rear support legs 18, 18 ofthe step ladder near their upper ends. This provides a secure and dependable support for the bucket C at a desired height on the stepladder for general use. i I i The modified form B of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is generally similar to the device B shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with the exception that the device B of Fig. 3 is made from a single piece of sheet metal. The device B consists of a bottom plate portion 40 having a. downturned rearward flange portion 41 of a length to span the rear support legs of a step ladder A at a desired height. The flange 41 is provided with holes 42 at its ends to receive rivets such as the rivets 33 shown in Fig. l to secure the device to the stepladder. The forward edge 43 of the horizontal plate portion 44 preferably is curved to conform substantially with the curvature of the lower marginal edge of the bucketC when supported thereon. This curvature of the edge 43 is principally for appearance, since no retaining band similar to the lower band member 20 of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is provided at the bottom of the structure shown in Fig. 3.

An upright strip portion 47 is formed continuously with the central portion of the curved forward edge of the horizontal plate 44 and is bent upwardly at right angles thereto at 48. Transversely extending arms 49, 49 are formed continuously with the upright strip portion 47 near its upper end, and these arms are curved to conform to the curvature of the bucket C to be supported therein.

The upright strip 47 extends upwardly beyond the transversely extending arms 49, 49 and its upper end 50 is bent rearwardly to overlie and engage the upper edge of a bucket C similarly to the hooked upper end 31 of the strip 30 of Figs. 1 and 2 as described previously herein.

The form B of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is mounted on a ladder A similarly to the device B shown in Fig. l and supports a bucket thereon in a similar manner.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the ap pended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

l. A bucket holder for mounting entirely within the confines of a painters stepladder when folded, said holder comprising a pair of rigid band members adapted to be mounted transversely across the inner sides of the rear supporting legs, and between two upper steps of such ladder when folded, a concavely curved rearwardly facing portion formed centrally in each .of said band members to seat a bucket of conforming curvature therein, a segmental bucket support plate having a'curved forward edge fitted and secured to the lower edge of the curved portion of the lower transverse band member and of a width less than half the diameter of a bucket to be supported thereon, said segmental plate having a rearchordal edge thereof disposed substantially coextensively with the end portions of said lower band member, an upright member connecting the curved portions of the upper and lower trans verse band members and extending upwardly beyond the upper of said band members, and a portion at the upper .end of said connecting member bent to extend angularly downwardly and rearwardly at a height from the bottom plate greater than the height of a bucket to be supported thereby, the lower end of the rearwardly bent portion be- 2. A bucket holder for mounting entirely within the I confines of a painters stepladder when folded, said holder comprising a single piece of sheet metal formed to comprise a pair of rigid band portions adapted to be mounted transversely in vertically spaced relation across the inner sides of the rear supporting legs of a stepladder and in the space between two upper steps of such ladder, a concavely curved rearwardly facing portion formed centrally in the uppermost of said band portions to receive a bucket of predetermined size therein, a bucket support portion extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the lower transverse band portion, and of a width less than half the diameter of the bottom of a bucket to be supported thereon, an upright portion connecting central portions of the upper and lower transverse band portions, and a bucket rim engaging portion extending upwardly from the upper band portion and bent reversely rearwardly at a height from the bucket support portion greater than the height of a bucket to be supported thereby, the lower end of the rearwardly bent portion being at a height from the bucket support portion less than the height of such bucket.

3. A bucket holder for permanently mounting on a painters stepladder having a pair of stringers with a plurality of steps mounted transversely therebetween, and having a pair of rear support legs pivotally connected to the upper end of the stepladder, said bucket holder being adapted to lie entirely within the confines of such ladder when folded; said bucket holder comprising two rigid transverse strap members adapted to be fixedly secured in vertically spaced relation to the forward edges of the support legs, and in the vertical space between two upper steps of such ladder, the lower of said straps having a bucket support shelf thereon, each transverse strap portion being formed with a rearwardly facing concave portion shaped to engage vertically separated side portions of a bucket of predetermined size seated therein, and curving forwardly for fitting into an inter-step space of a ladder upon which the bucket holder is adapted to be mounted, the lowermost of said concave strap portions extending farther forward than the uppermost thereof by an amount substantially equal to the slope of the rear support legs of such ladder, thereby to support in upright condition a bucket mounted with the forward portion of its bottom resting on said shelf and its side seated in said curve'dportions, and a rearwardly facing bucket engaging hook mounted on said support to receive therebeneath the upper rim of a bucket resting on said shelf and seated in said concave strap portions, the lower end of the hook. being at a height from the bucket support shelf less than the height of the bucket,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thorson Aug. 10, 1954 

